


House Breaking

by d0g-bless (d0gbless)



Series: A New Breed of Training [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Dogs, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Everyone Is An Adult, F/M, Post-Canon, Post-Series, SHIDGE, VLD OC: Halley - Freeform, shidge and a dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 22:37:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12156207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d0gbless/pseuds/d0g-bless
Summary: Post-canon. In which the adorable puppy Halley destroys Pidge's workplace, Shiro is old-fashioned when it comes to asking permission for things, and Hunk saves the day.





	House Breaking

Shiro pulled a load of damp clothes out of the washing machine and shoved them into the dryer. A metallic finger went for the START button, but froze a few inches away from touching it. “Nearly forgot to clean the lint trap,” Shiro said, pulling his cybernetic arm back to his side.

The lint trap was buried under cardboard boxes of cleaning supplies and clothing. Though Pidge’s hoarding habits drove him crazy, he was starting to see why she did it. Just yesterday he’d caught Halley chewing on his phone charger (thankfully it was unplugged).

“Put it in the box with the other chargers,” Pidge had told him.

Why Pidge had at least 25 different chargers and cords hidden away in a drawer was beyond him, but at least she was a somewhat organized hoarder. Her organization system made no sense to him, but hey, if Pidge knew where everything was, there was nothing to worry about.

Almost immediately after that scare, he’d started unplugging any cords in the house, save for Pidge’s office. That was one of the places Pidge said that she did not want Halley getting into. Too many cords and valuables in one place.

The lint trap came out coated in white fur. He knew Great Pyrenees shed, but he still hadn’t expected this much shedding. Halley hadn’t shed that much at first, but considering she was growing (he’d brought home a 25-pound dog and now had one weighing almost 35), it made sense that she’d only shed more. More dog meant more fur.

At this rate, he might have to stop buying black clothes. (Sure, the Black Paladin was now retired, but he still liked wearing black, just as Pidge still liked wearing green. Old habits die hard, as the cliché went.)

His phone vibrated in his back pocket. He slipped a hand back there to grab his phone and answer the call, not bothering to check caller ID.

“Hey, Shiro.”

Shiro smiled at the sound of Pidge’s voice. “Hey, babe. What’s going on?”

“I know this is very last minute, but Mom and Matt are coming to our place for dinner. Could you order a few pizzas?”

“Better yet, I could cook something.”

“Cooking isn’t exactly one of your strengths. It’s not mine, either, but you don’t have to go all out to impress them.”

“But—“

“Shiro, I know you’re worried about what my mom thinks of you.”

Damn, he loved this woman, but damn her for reading his mind so easily. It didn’t matter how many times Pidge told him that Colleen was not angry that he wasn’t able to save Sam. The fear, the anxiety of Colleen’s resentment lingered whenever she was mentioned. He’d tried to save him, but he’d been too hurt, too weak to make it back.

“I promise you, she doesn’t hate you,” Pidge reiterated for the hundredth time. “Please just order pizza. Or take-out.”

Shiro sighed. “OK. I’ll do it for you. Love you, Katie.”

“Love you, too. I’ll see you later.”

The moment Pidge hung up was either one of Shiro’s luckiest moments or most unfortunate. In perfect sync that exact moment, there was a _crash_ followed by the sound of paper being ripped and growls.

Worse yet, the sounds came from Pidge’s office.

* * *

Staring at the unavoidable disaster before him, Shiro knew he was in deep shit. More accurately, it was the far too cheerful puppy who’d somehow managed to break into Pidge’s office and eat—eat, of all things! Not bite or chew, but _eat_ Pidge’s blueprints, who was in deep shit. The contents of the knocked over waste basket and broken bookshelf (just one shelf, not the entire case, thank god) had been torn to shreds. It looked like a tornado had gone through here. No, more like a Category 5 hurricane. He’d left Halley to her own devices for ten minutes. Ten. Minutes.

His Galra-made hand slid down his face, starting at his forehead and ending at his chin. “Halley, there is only so much I can hide from Pidge, and this isn’t it.”

There was no way he could whip something up in the kitchen to impress Colleen (there was no way in hell he was going to have _that_ conversation with Colleen and order pizza) _and_ clean up what he could in this room. But with a little help…

Shiro knew the perfect person for the job.

* * *

From the second Shiro had texted him about making a special meal, Hunk had started gathering food and stuffing them into his car. He’d chosen a very simple recipe. One so simple, even Shiro couldn’t mess it up. Hopefully Shiro could add it to the few things he could cook. (If not Shiro, maybe Pidge. Maybe.)

Hunk cradled four boxes of pasta (spaghetti) under his left arm so he could ring the doorbell with his right hand.

Three defensive barks and a “Halley, no!” followed the bell’s chime. The door opened a crack. “Please, go ahead and come on in.” Shiro sounded like he’d been running for miles. Definitely not like Shiro.

“Should I come back later or—?” A whirlwind of white fur and slobber pounced on Hunk, almost knocking him down. Sturdy as a brick wall, Hunk remained upright.

“I am so sorry about that.” Shiro tugged on Halley’s collar (lime green with alternating purple stripes), effectively pulling the dog off Hunk. “No, Halley.”

“Aw, she’s fine!” Hunk said, patting Halley’s head. “She’s gotten bigger since the last picture you guys sent me.”

Halley rolled onto her back and looked at Hunk with pleading eyes that screamed, “Belly rub?” Hunk went weak at the knees. He lowered himself so he could give Halley the best belly rub ever. And boy, did she get it. “Who’s a good big girl? Halley is! Oh, yes she is!”

“Big, yes.” Shiro folded his arms across his chest. “She’s not so good if you ask Pidge. The dog leaps on her every time she comes home and knocks her over.”

Hunk cleared his throat. “Oh, I guess I probably shouldn’t have praised her.” He stood up, brushing white dog fur off his pants. “Sorry.”

“I’m just as guilty.” Shiro flashed a sheepish smile. “And I’m sorry about asking on such short notice. It’s just—“

“You want to impress Colleen,” Hunk said, making his way to the kitchen with Halley at his heel. For the most part, the kitchen was fairly clean. The hum of the fridge sent chills down Hunk’s spine. A few steps past the fridge was the stove and oven. The stove, like the kitchen’s other necessities, was a recent model, but it was covered in dust and enough take-out menus to fill up a restaurant’s tables at max capacity. Hunk sneezed.

“You’re not allergic to dogs, are you?” Shiro asked. “I can move Halley to another room and vacuum or something.”

“She’s fine. I’m allergic to fire hazards,” Hunk joked. “But actually, it’s just dust.” He sneezed again. He’d felt it coming, so he was sure to sneeze into the crook of his elbow. “When was the last time you guys used the stove?”

Shiro choked out a nervous laugh. “I actually don’t know. We’ve been living off of take-out and pizza.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed with the seventy-something menus on the stove.” Hunk scooped up the papers (some laminated, others just printer paper) and set them on the counter opposite the stove. “You know, if I were you, I’d hide these. I can’t say Colleen would be impressed with these menus sitting out. It would’ve been worse if they were on the stove when she got here.” He opened and closed multiple cabinets and drawers to gather pots and pans. Back still facing Shiro, Hunk held a pot out to his friend. “Fill this with water, will you? Then put it on the stove, high heat.” Sensing Shiro’s apprehension, he added, “It’s practically impossible to burn water.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hunk hummed along as water rushed from the faucet, then stopped when it slowed to a few drips. “What’s the special occasion?”

“Colleen and Matt are coming for dinner, and I wanted things to look good.”

“Then why are your best plates missing from the cabinet and set on the table?” Hunk gasped. “Wait, are you going to propose to Pidge?”

Shiro felt heat rise to his face. (Or maybe that was just heat from the water growing hotter over the stove.) “Yes—well, no. Not yet.”

“Which is it? Yes or no?”

“If I can find a quiet moment with Colleen, I…” Shiro took a deep breath. “I want to ask her permission first. Before I ask Pidge.”

Hunk snorted. “Dude, I love you, but you’re such an old-fashioned guy.”

“Maybe so.” Shiro lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug. “It’s just,” he trailed off for a moment. “I’ve taken so much away from her as it is.”

“Commander Samuel Holt, you mean.”

Shiro swallowed hard. It was his fault. He was supposed to come back with three Holts. Instead, he returned with one Holt, a scruffy Paladin named Pidge Gunderson who knew she’d have to return to saving the universe, and that was it. Samuel Holt was dead. He’d been too late… He could’ve saved him. But he couldn’t. He didn’t. He’d failed. “I feel like I’m stealing Pidge from her, too.”

Hunk poked Shiro gently with a wooden spoon he’d found. “Hey, snap out if it. Pidge loves you and wants to be with you. You haven’t committed theft.”

Halley pawed at Shiro’s leg and barked.

“See? Even Halley agrees.” Hunk patted Halley’s head. “Don’t you worry about dinner tonight. I’ve got your back, Shiro. We all do. Besides, isn’t there a mess you’re supposed to be cleaning up?”

Shiro nearly swore under his breath. “I forgot. Thanks, Hunk.”

“Not a problem. I’m always here to support you and the team, and I love doing it. I’m the leg, remember? Someone’s got to hold everyone up.” He shook his head. “And to think I actually _wanted_ to be the head.”

* * *

Pidge steeled herself before opening the door, preparing for the inevitable slobbery and furry tackle that was sure to come.

And boy, it did it come. Halley slammed Pidge into the entryway area’s floor, drowning the young woman in wet kisses.

She knew better than to laugh at the dog’s behavior, but she couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip out. “It’s good to see you, too. Were you good for Shiro?”

Halley’s tail wagged with ferocity, as if to say, _Yes, I was an angel who has never done anything wrong in my life._ (And that was a load of crap.)

Pidge pushed Halley off her. “Good try, pup.” Where Halley had been in her line of vision, there was Shiro offering a hand.

“Don’t believe her,” he said, helping Pidge up onto her feet. “She was terrible today.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

The doorbell rang.

“You’ll have to tell me later,” she said, patting Shiro’s arm. “Sounds like Mom and Matt are here.” She looked to the dog, then back to Shiro. “Think you can hold her back from jumping up on our guests?”

“I know I can.” Shiro lowered himself down next to Halley and gripped her collar as tight as he could. The puppy whined, to which Shiro replied, “If you didn’t jump on people, we wouldn’t have to do this. Are you listening?”

Halley’s ears flicked toward the direction of the open door.

“That would be a no.”

“Still struggling with training that dog, Shiro?” Colleen said. Her lips were curled in a half-smile, making it difficult to tell if she was joking or making a judgmental statement. If Shiro reacted as if her comment was the latter, things would not go smoothly for the remainder of the evening. If he responded with a joke, it would either ease the tension in the air or simply be a second joke.

His decision to go with a joke was a no brainer. “Dog? She’s more like a beast. Katie, do you think we’re safe to let this beast free?”

Pidge nodded. “She seems to have calmed down enough.”

Shiro did as he was bidden. He anticipated the worst—Halley jumping on Colleen. Luckily Halley seemed content to sniff Matt’s discarded shoes. “Um, I know we usually have a shoes-off policy, but ever since we adopted Halley, we’ve had to adjust.”

“Seriously. She’s destroyed all of Shiro’s sneakers.”

Matt slipped his shoes back on. (Halley slunk back to Pidge’s side.) “Man, she really is a beast,” he said. “She’s really cute, though.”

Colleen’s half-smile upturned into a full one. “She certainly is. How big is she going to get?”

“Well, when she’s fully grown, she should weigh somewhere around 130 pounds,” Pidge replied, scratching the dog behind the ear. “She’s almost doubled in weight since Shiro brought her home.”

Colleen frowned. “Wait, you didn’t adopt her together?”

Shiro tried not to wince as Pidge eagerly told her mother the details.

A bony elbow did, however, make Shiro wince as it prodded him in the side. Matt’s elbow, to be precise. “When’s the wedding?”

Shiro hoped no one saw the color drain from his face. He forced a laugh. “It wasn’t like that. I just wanted to surprise your sister.”

“With a dog?” Colleen’s eyebrows knitted into a frown. “That does show quite a bit of dedication and commitment, I suppose.”

“OK, my terrible wedding joke aside, when’s the pizza going to get here? I’m starving.”

At this, Shiro relaxed. “Who said anything about pizza?”

Pidge narrowed her eyes. “I did. I told them we should have pizza delivered here by now.”

“Actually, there’s been a slight change of plans.” Pidge opened her mouth to protest, but Shiro replied quickly enough before she could get a word in. “Spaghetti and meatballs, anyone?”

* * *

The Holts showered their praises upon Hunk’s spaghetti, convinced that somehow he’d cooked the meal. Judging by the way Pidge looked at him, only she knew the truth. But she played along, pretending her boyfriend was the best cook on the planet.

The praise came to an abrupt end when someone tapped a wine glass with a fork. Heads turned to Colleen. “May I make a toast?”

The three others (one of them more reluctant than the siblings) at the table nodded.

“I want to take a moment to thank Shiro for this wonderful dinner. But even more importantly, I want to thank him for bringing my children back home all those years ago.”

What?

“I don’t think I’ve been the best at saying thank you or showing it, but I try. So… here’s to Shiro.”

“To Shiro!”

“To Shiro!”

“To me?”

* * *

Once everyone had finished eating and drinking (with the exception of Matt, the designated driver), Shiro got up first. “You guys don’t have to help. I can clean.”

Colleen scoffed. “You made this meal. We can help clean. Tell us what to do.”

Shiro nodded. This was his opportunity to talk to Colleen. But he’d need Matt and Pidge out of hearing range. “Um… OK. Matt, Katie, can you two wipe down the table and sweep the floor? And Colleen, could you help wash dishes by hand? I’ll dry.”

Matt gave an obnoxious salute. “Yes, sir!”

“You remember where the broom is?” Pidge asked.

“Of course.”

Shiro watched the two go off into the dining room and start cleaning. To be accurate, he was really watching Pidge. Watching how she laughed and smiled. God, he loved her smile, with that little dimple. The smile that reminded him of the Cheshire Cat from Disney’s _Alice in Wonderland._ She was stunning, and he’d never get over her.

“You love her, don’t you?”

Shiro jolted. His heart raced—he hadn’t noticed Colleen’s approach.

“Easy. Deep breaths.”

He nodded through a couple shaky breaths.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve made sure you knew I was behind you.”

“It’s fine.”

“Matt gets like that, too. I should’ve remembered that.”

Shiro shook his head. “It’s OK. Really.”

A silence fell over them for a few minutes. “Colleen, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you about. I…” he looked to the dining room. Pidge and Matt were laughing at something, so now was the time. “Ma’am, I’d like to marry your daughter.”

Colleen burst into laughter. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.

Shiro’s stomach sank. What had he done wrong? Did he insult her? Was it really that horrible of an idea? “If you don’t want me to, that’s OK. I’d understand.”

She shook her head. “No, no, that’s not it at all. I just find it funny that you’re asking me and not Katie. You don’t need my permission to be part of the family.”

 _But I do,_ Shiro thought.

“You know, Sam always said that his crew members were family. Shiro, you’ve been a Holt by extension for a long time. But if you absolutely want to make it official legally, you and Katie both have my blessing. I know you’d have my husband’s, too.”

Shiro’s mouth went dry. He struggled to find the right words. He settled on a “thank you.”

Colleen dipped her head and passed Shiro the last plate. “Careful, it’s slippery,” she said.

He started to say, “I’ve got it,” but a horrified scream ensured he had anything but “got it.” He dropped the plate into the kitchen sink, where it shattered into hundreds of pieces.

“Shiro, did Halley eat my blueprints? And books?”

Shiro winced.

Colleen chuckled. “I wish you the best of luck. You’ll need it.”


End file.
